A Fraction in Time
by LolAya
Summary: Morizawa Ayame has enrolled into Hakuou Gakuen, an all boys school that recently turned co-ed, but gets hit in the head and faints on her first day of school. As she wakes up, she finds herself in a world vastly different from her own, and can only turn to the Shinsengumi for help.T for language.
1. Chapter 1 Time Travelling?

Hello everyone! I am back! For now, anyway.

So, what made me write this instead of continuing my other stories? Well, I recently bought a 3DS, and one of the first games I bought for it is Hakuoki 3D: Memories of the Shinsengumi, which is, for those who don't know, just a remake of the original Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom game for the PSP, but with some few extras. I got so hooked up with it that I finished all the 6 routes as fast as I could, playing when I wasn't busy with homework and such, which took about a five days. But before even knowing of the game, I already knew about the anime, just sayin'.

So after it, I rewatched the anime and fell deeper in love with it all over again. Wait, that sentence is weird. Ah, whatever. Guess who's my favorite guy? It's the forever stoic and silent Saito! ^_^ I don't know, there's something about his voice that made me instantly fall in love with him, not to mention that I have a fetish for silent and serious guys like him. Also, such a bishounen. (Melts).

This is something that suddenly formed in my mind one day, like how my other stories started out, and I just had to make it into what it is now. In fact, I was so obsessed with this that I even wrote bits and pieces of it on a spare notebook during classes (forever model student [sarcasm]) and rushed home just to type it in.

Well, I don't plan on rushing this, so for those who want fast-action, this is not for you. You have been warned. But if ever I do rush it...it is purely unintentional. Also, I am notorious for not updating stories for a very, very, _very_ long time. Ask some of the people who have read my stories and are still waiting for the updates, I bet they all have a brick in hand and are ready to stone me to death.

Also, one thing you should know before reading, I didn't think this through before posting. It's purely impulse, so if you think the plot is not well-thought of, I apologize. The same goes for the title. I'm a lazy person. And I drew some inspiration from several fanfictions not limited to Hakuoki, so if you find somewhere in the story something familiar, it might or might not be coincidental. If it is _not_ coincidental, I give credit to the person whoever thought of it then.

One last thing you need to know before reading. This story is not only based on the game and anime, but also on some doujin games as well, particularly a doujin game called "Kuchihatenu Sakura no". Some of you might have heard of a new PS Vita game called Sweet School Life (SSL), but I'm not sure what's the relation of it to Kuchihatenu. I mean, even the uniforms are the same. It's scary. But oh well.

Not sure if this is all I have to say, but I'll leave it at that, since I'm sleepy when I'm typing this. Hope you all enjoy. And if you don't, sorry I failed to meet your expectations.

* * *

"Aaa" - spoken words

_Aaa_ - thoughts, mostly the protagonists (of this story, not the game, duh)

_"Aaa"_ - written words

_'Aaa'_ - whispers

* * *

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the OC.

* * *

Chapter 1 Time Travelling?!

Today was the first day of school, so was her first day of her high school life, but Morizawa Ayame wasn't exactly thrilled. This school, Hakuou Gakuen, is a private all boys school that recently turned co-ed, which means that the female population here is really scarce. In fact, ever since she set foot in the school premises, Ayame has not seen a single female creature.

_Of all the schools I got accepted in, I had to pick the one and only Hakuou Gakuen._ Ayame thought as she ignored the stares of the men around her. _And I how did I manage to pass the entrance exam of this school when all I did before and during the test was fuck around?_

This was a mystery Ayame was sure she'd never find the answer to. So is the question of how and why she chose to attend this school.

_Ah, whatever. I'm already here. I'll just take this as a trial version, and if I ever find faults in this school that I can't accept, then I'll transfer to another school, no biggie. _She sighed. However, the stares of the other students already made her feel uncomfortable.

Being the only human being that's wearing a skirt, she'd naturally gain attention, wanted or not, and it made her sigh again. _Damn all these stares. But I guess it can't be helped. It's not everyday they get to see a woman roaming around in the campus, and I bet the only woman most men here see everyday is their own mother._

But even though being the only girl (so far, hopefully) can be uncomfortable, it can be convenient. Usually, during the start of the school year, students would have to check their sections on the notice board right outside the entrance of the building, and one would usually have to squeeze through countless others just to see his or her section. But being a person of the opposite sex, the guys crowding in front of the board noticed Ayame's presence fairly quickly and they immediately parted and created space for her to walk through. _I feel like Moses parting the Red Sea._

As Ayame looked silently for her class under the freshmen section, she heard several others whisper in low but still audible voices.

_'Hey, who's that girl? Why is she here?'_

_'Dude, did you forget? They decided to make the school co-ed, you dumbass, so she's a student like us.'_

_'Man, the first female in our school and __she's__ a total hottie.'_

_'I wonder what's her year and section. It would be awesome if we were in the same class.'_

_'But don't you think she looks a bit like those female delinquents? I mean, look at her.'_

True, Ayame was holding her bag over her shoulder with her other hand in her blazer pocket and a totally annoyed look on her face, not to mention the untucked and ribbon-less blouse. No wonder they'd think she was a delinquent or something. But Ayame pretended she didn't hear anything.

"_Year 1, Section 1." _Ayame finally saw her name at the very bottom. "_Morizawa Ayame."_

_Let's just hope that this school doesn't get any worse than it already is._

She backed away from the board, but didn't go in the building yet. Since there was still a lot of time, she figured she'd explore the school grounds some more. Who knows, she might find something interesting. Unfortunately, after a few minutes of walking around, she found that the school is just like any other school out there in Japan, with nothing that stands out or catches her eye.

_Man, this place is boring._ Ayame thought as she went around the corner. _I wonder where I should transfer to..._

But she stopped dead on her tracks. She was at the back of the school building, in the courtyard near the field, and was amazed to see a huge sakura tree in full bloom. The wind rustled and petals flew everywhere, creating a pink illusion that she was in a totally different world, thus temporarily ignoring anything around her.

"Look out!" A voice pulled Ayame back to reality as she saw from the corner of her eye a round object flying towards her. She could barely react when it hit her square in the temple and she felt her body falling towards the ground.

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

_Oww... _Ayame thought to herself as she slowly regained her senses. There was a dull pain throbbing at the side of her head, on her left temple, that wasn't exactly that painful, but it wasn't pleasant either. With her eyes still closed, she started wondering what she was doing before passing out.

_Right. I was hit by something._

But something wasn't right. She remembered she was at the back of the school admiring the sakura tree when she was hit in the head, so normally she would expect herself lying on the bed in the infirmary. But somehow, she was lying on something as cold and hard as ice and it was too cold to be spring. And her clothes felt different, too.

With a sense of puzzlement, Ayame slowly opened her eyes. She was indeed lying on the cold, hard ground that was covered in snow in some alleyway, and looking at the sky, it was nighttime. Her clothes weren't the original Hakuou Gakuen female uniform, but some kimono that felt too rough on her skin.

_Where the fuck am I and what the hell happened?_ Ayame asked herself, but as soon as she did, a cold breeze blew through her and she shivered. _But before that, I better find a place to stay._

Easy for anybody to say. There was nobody around to ask for help and nobody would answer no matter how hard she knocked on each door. There was one weird thing she noticed while wandering around. The houses around her were the really old wooden ones, ones that only existed even before the Meiji era, where foreign styled houses didn't catch on yet. The really old Japanese-styled houses.

If it weren't for the bone-biting cold, she would've stopped and pondered on her situation, but it was not time for that. If she doesn't find shelter against the cold soon, she might just become a popsicle.

After walking around for another while, she saw a faint light in the distance, and judging from the way it swayed from left to right and back again, it was a lantern, and somebody was holding it while walking. A gleam of hope sparked up, and Ayame quickly ran towards the light without any second thought. Now a few meters nearer, she saw the man holding the lantern, and he was accompanied by three more others who were trudging along behind in the snow.

"Um, excuse me..." She went forward a few more meters until she was sure they could see her and spoke up, catching their attention.

"Well, what do we have here, a small rabbit lost in the dark streets." The men noticed her and Ayame saw grins on their faces. They seemed drunk.

"You really shouldn't wander about in the middle of the night, miss." A man approached as he spew out words Ayame could barely understand due to the alcohol.

"Um, I just want to find a place to stay..." Ayame said as she backed away from them, suddenly wary that they were all drunken men.

"You could stay in my place." Another man offered, but there was obviously something else he had in mind. "And during your stay you can entertain me..."

"No, what about entertaining us right now? We just used up all of our money on sake, you see, and we still ain't satisfied. Nothing better to warm up our bodies than a woman."

At this point it was clear that they had malicious intentions, and Ayame backed away further.

"You know, I changed my mind. Sorry I bothered you people."

She turned around to leave but a man caught her by the wrist. "You know it's not really nice to ask for a favor and then suddenly changing your mind after we accepted it."

"Let me go!" Ayame tried to twist her wrist away, but his grip was surprisingly strong for a drunkard. As she continued to try and fight back, the man's free hand started wandering about on the rest of her body and attempted to untie the obi on her kimono. Panicking, Ayame turned and kicked the man in the crotch with all the force her leg could muster.

Howling in pain, he let go of her wrist, and as soon as he did, Ayame dashed out into the night. The man's companions, realizing what just happened, suddenly sobered up and started chasing her while unsheathing their swords and cursing at her.

_Dammit. All I want is a warm place to stay and I get this. Kami-sama must really hate me._ Ayame thought as she ran. But running in the snow with shoes you aren't accustomed to isn't really comfortable, and it greatly affects one's running speed. _If only I were wearing my sneakers, I could outrun these geezers any time._

They continued to run through streets and alleyways, and Ayame was starting to feel annoyed. _I don't really want to cause more conflict, but they are obviously looking for it._

Suddenly, Ayame stopped and faced her pursuers. They all stopped one by one in front of her, their breaths ragged from the chase.

"Finally gave up, missy?" One man asked, panting slightly.

"Oh, I'm not giving up." Ayame glared at him and, without any hesitation, charged towards him.

"Hah! You must be really stupid to attack me barehanded!" The man said as he raised his katana, but before the blade touched Ayame, she side-stepped out of the way and attacked where he was most vulnerable: his side.

"Gah...!" The man let go of the sword and clutched the spot where Ayame hit him, kneeling down due to the pain, and she quickly hit the back of his neck, rendering him unconscious.

"What the..." The other man had barely enough time to react before Ayame ran behind him and struck him down, too.

"Bitch, you're good." The last man smirked at her. As he charged with his katana in hand, it was obvious that he was faster and far more skilled than his companions, and Ayame had some difficult time dodging his attacks. One of his attacks sliced her right shoulder, and she held it with her left hand, wincing from the pain of torn flesh and warm blood flowing down her arm.

"Ugh..."

"Ha, you don't seem so good now that you're wounded." He snorted, and that only made Ayame glare at him.

She waited for him to charge at her again before blocking the arms that were holding the blade and countering by striking his stomach. The force was apparently so hard that he let go of his sword and knelt down to retch. Without any mercy, Ayame lifted her leg and kicked the man in the face, making him hit a wall and slide down, unconscious like his friends.

"Hah..." Ayame exhaled. She really didn't want to have done that.

The pain in her shoulder pulled her back and she hissed as she applied pressure on the wound, but that didn't stop it from bleeding. The wound must be worse than she thought.

"Hehehehehehehehe..." Suddenly, a high-pitched laugh broke through the silent of the night and Ayame turned around, alarmed.

A few meters in front of her stood a man clad in blue with a head guard on his forehead and a katana in his hand. Not yet over from what has transpired, Ayame backed away from the strange, white-haired man.

"Blood...I smell blood..." The man muttered. He lifted his head up and Ayame gasped. His eyes were as red as the fresh blood gushing out of her shoulder, and she noticed his gaze was fixated on it. "I want it!"

Suddenly, he yelled and ran towards her with his katana lifted in the air, ready to slice up its prey. The man's inhumane speed didn't give Ayame time to react at all, and she was about to scream when the man stopped right in front of her. Noticing he wasn't moving, she looked down to see the tip of a blade protruding out of his chest, blood dripping to the ground. As the blade retracted from the body, the man fell down with a thump and didn't move, dead.

Looking up, Ayame saw another man, with a white scarf around his neck and long purple hair tied up in a low, side-ways pony tail, swing his sword at the side to get rid of the blood and proceed to sheathe it at the scabbard strapped to his right.

"I didn't expect another run-away only a few weeks after the last incident." Another man emerged from the shadows. "And like last time, Hajime-kun didn't let me show off in front of the lady at all."

"If I did, you would've let him kill her."

"You always manage to read my mind, Hajime."

"Enough with the chit chat. Saito, explain to me what happened." Another man with long, black hair appeared. I could see from his eyes that if I try so much as to run away, he will kill me, so I stood in place, not daring to move.

I noticed their clothing was the same as that of the man that just got killed. Or at least the haori they're wearing are identical.

"We heard several men yelling, so we came here as fast we could. That man tried to kill her, and I dealt with him." The man called Saito said, and then he looked at the other unconscious men. "However, the other men only seem to be unconscious, therefore, this is not his work."

"So you mean to tell me that this woman took care of the thugs?" The man with the cheery yet unnerving smile approached and studied Ayame. "Huh, never heard of that before."

"Stop that, Okita." The man said.

"But Hijikata-san, don't you think a woman who can beat up three guys on her own while barehanded is interesting?"

_So the man with that annoying smile is called Okita, and the other one with the long hair and amethyst eyes that could probably kill with just a look is called Hijikata, huh?_

"Commander, what do we do with her?" Saito asked, ignoring Okita.

"What do we do with her? Well, she obviously saw everything, so we obviously kill her." Okita smiled and returned his interests on Ayame.

"That's true, but as much as possible I don't want any civilian killed, even if they witnessed something they shouldn't have." Hijikata sighed. "It's going to be bad if word got out that the Shinsengumi is out killing people again."

Ayame swallowed hard at what she heard. The men standing before her were obviously far more skilled than the rogues she dealt with a while ago, so fighting them is not an option, so is running away. But the way they contemplated on her fate didn't make her feel any better. There must be something she can do to persuade them not to kill her...

"Um..." Ayame spoke up. The men obviously didn't expect her to talk, so they all turned their attention to her.

"Trying to say you didn't see anything won't do anything, you know?" Okita said before she could speak and combined together with his smirk annoyed her.

"Of course I know that, you nitwit. I'm not stupid." They all widened their eyes in surprised. It was apparent that they didn't expect her to talk back. "Look, I know I witnessed something all of you obviously didn't want anybody else to know, and killing me is one of the options you've got, but are you sure that's the best option?"

"What do you mean by that?" Hijikata asked with a thoughtful look.

"I'm only looking for a place to stay, but I don't have any money on me. So if you could give me somewhere to stay, I could keep your secrets to myself, might even forget them, and I may also offer some of my services for free."

"Elaborate on those services."

"Hijikata-san, yes? It looks like you haven't slept for at least five days. Okita-san, you are being bothered by a terrible stomach ache and minor chest pains. Both of you are trying to hide it from everybody else, but nothing can escape my eyes. You, Saito-san, seem like an honest enough person and is not hiding any illness or discomforts."

Saito nodded at Ayame, while the other two widened their eyes further in surprise. Looks like neither of them wanted anybody to know that their bodies weren't up to the weather.

"You are a physician?" Saito asked.

"Close enough. My parents were doctors and I grew up learning more medicinal things than an average person could know. I could also perform minor surgeries with the right tools."

"Heh~" Okita said. "Not even Kodo sensei would be able to know all of that with just a glance. You're good. Killing you would be a waste, and you're interesting, too."

"I'm not sure how I should be feeling..." Ayame felt her eye twitch, and the pain on her right shoulder was getting unbearable.

Saito turned to Hijikata. "Commander, what of her now?"

Hijikata narrowed his glance at both Ayame and Okita. "I never imagined Okita saying he wouldn't kill somebody, so that must mean you're good enough."

"Ah, I'll take that as a compliment." Okita smiled at Hijikata and then at her. "And ain't that nice? You won't be killed. Yet."

"Follow us, we'll bring you to our headquarters and get your wound treated." Saito said.

"But what about..." Ayame said as she glanced at the bodies around them.

"We have someone else who's going to take care of them." Hijikata said.

"Alright, then." Ayame said. Now that they didn't plan on killing her, all the nervous tension was suddenly released. She was almost killed, that thought, combined with the loss of blood, made her feel dizzy, and she tried to catch anything that would break her fall as she felt her legs gave out under her.

Saito, who was the one in front of her, turned and caught her before she touched the ground.

"Are you alright?" He asked as he pulled her up.

"Y-yes, it's just that I don't think I can walk now that I relaxed. I'm sorry."

"You almost got killed, it's natural. And that wound on you isn't helping." Hijikata said as he looked at the spot where I was injured. "Saito, you think you can carry her?"

Saito nodded. Before Ayame could register what he meant by "carry her", Saito slipped an arm under her knees and lifted her up. Ayame yelped in surprise, and Okita's grin grew wider.

"Hoho, never thought that Hajime-kun would be this gentlemanly."

"It can't be helped. She cannot walk and we have to leave this place as soon as possible. And I do not think that any other way of carrying her would be comfortable or polite."

"I-I'm sorry, I must be heavy." Ayame turned her head away to hide her red cheeks. Never before had she been carried by a man like this.

"Not at all. In fact, you're surprisingly light."

"And you know it's true when Hajime-kun says it." Okita said as he turned his head to look at them. "He's surprisingly honest."

"I dislike lying." Saito commented as he carried Ayame, showing no signs of carrying a burden at all. She let him carry her, and slowly, she felt herself relaxing. In no time at all, she fell asleep in his warm arms.

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

When Ayame woke up, she was lying down in a futon, but she frowned when she can't remember entering this room at all. Slowly sitting up, she winced at the pain of her shoulder and the soreness of muscles. It has been a while since she had a fight like the one last night. Observing the room, she noticed that it was a simple Japanese room, about a few tatamis big, and definitely not her room.

"Excuse me." Someone outside startled her. Judging from the voice it was Saito. "Are you awake?"

"Y-yes, I just woke up."

"Everybody is waiting for you in the common room. I was instructed to bring you there."

"Right, just a minute." Ayame said as she stood up and started tidying herself and stepped out of the room after making sure she was presentable.

Saito was patiently standing on the hallway and after Ayame stepped out of the room, he nodded her a silent greeting before turning to take her to wherever everybody else was. "Follow me."

Ayame did as she was told and walked behind him while familiarizing herself with the place.

_Judging from the clothing and their weapon of choice, it seems that I'm in some time before the Meiji Era. Did I time travel? _Ayame sighed inwardly. But something like that only happens in fiction, right? Well, apparently not. However, instead of feeling anxious or helpless like she herself expected, she only felt a strange calmness, which was creeping her out.

She also noticed that the clothes she was wearing was vastly different from the one she wore last night. She was even wearing a pair of hakama. The top was a dark blue color, and the pants was a light gray that oddly went well with the top. Also, the bandage tightly wrapped around her shoulder felt foreign, and she traced it gingerly with her left hand.

_I don't remember changing or being patched up, so who...?_ Ayame thought as she stared at Saito's back. _Impossible, he doesn't look like a person who'd do that. But if it isn't him, then who? I just hope it wasn't one of the men._

Saito suddenly stopped in front of a room, making her bump into his back. "We're here."

"You didn't have to stop so suddenly." Ayame said as she rubbed her nose. _Man, those are rock hard muscles._

"I apologize." Saito said as he slid open the door, and the commotion inside stopped. "The commander is inside, so are the others. They want to ask you some questions."

He stepped aside to let Ayame enter first before entering himself and closing the door behind them. It was a big room, and other than Saito and Ayame, there were a total of eight people sitting around and watching the newcomer with curious eyes.

"Good morning~" This voice and cheerful tone could only belong to one person. Ayame turned to find Okita, who was sitting at her right and waved at her. "Did you sleep well last night?"

"Somehow..." Ayame replied quietly.

"Really? Or maybe you prefer Hajime-kun's arms after all? You did fall asleep in his arms last night as soon as we started heading back."

Heat suddenly crept up Ayame's cheeks. Okita just smirked while she resisted the urge to step up to him and punch that cheeky grin of his off his face. Saito, who was also a target of his statement, made no reaction as he sat down on an empty spot, at Okita's right.

"Ignore Souji." Hijikata said, who was seated at Ayame's front left. "Take a seat."

Ayame did as she was told and sat down in the middle of the room, surrounded by everybody.

"First things first. You already know me, Okita, and Saito, so we'll skip them. The man at my left is the chief of the Shinsengumi, Kondou Isami, and the man beside him is Sanan Keisuke, our colonel. The men to your left are Nagakura Shinpachi, Harada Sanosuke, Toudou Heisuke, and Inoue Genzaburou. The one at Souji's left is Yukimura." Each person nodded as their names were called. Nagakura, however, wore a frown as Hijikata introduced the men.

"Wait a sec, Hijikata. Why the hell are you telling him all this? I thought he witnessed...something last night, so shouldn't we kill him? That's the rule, right?" Nagakura protested while Ayame raised an eyebrow on his choice of pronouns.

"You'll know." Hijikata sighed as he motioned for him to wait and turned back to Ayame. "Tell us your name."

"Morizawa. Morizawa Ayame."

"Ayame? Ain't that a girl's name?" Nagakura commented as he eyed her.

"That's because I _am_ a girl, you idiot." Ayame said back, quite dumbfounded at his obliviousness. Did she really look that much of a man in male attire? Her female pride is somewhat hurt.

"That's impossible! It's true you're prettier and have a higher voice than an average man, but the way you look and act..." This time it was Heisuke who spoke up.

"I have to say, you disguise yourself pretty well." The man called Harada said. "But it _is_ pretty obvious she's a lady."

He coughed and pointed a finger at Ayame, or more specifically, her chest area. Even if she had the best disguise in the world, her true gender would still be given out if she didn't do anything to conceal _that_ part.

Both Nagakura and Heisuke's eyes followed where Harada was pointing and, after realizing something, turned their heads away with a shade of pink tinting their cheeks.

"I thought it was pretty obvious already so I didn't bother saying that I was a girl." Ayame mused and then sighed. "For a second I believed my pride as a female was being threatened."

"Alright, enough with that." Hijikata sighed. He was already accustomed to Nagakura and Heisuke's occasional idiocy, but this girl was being unbelievably bold, something he wasn't used to. Not only that, he heard Kondou beside him gasp in surprise as Ayame proclaimed her gender. Really, if he didn't know him well, he would've doubted his position as chief. "Saito, explain the events last night."

"Last night, one of our men left the compound without permission, so we were to track him down and bring him back. As we were searching the streets, several yells were heard and we immediately followed it. When we arrived, we saw three unconscious ronin, her with a wound on her shoulder, and the man we were searching for. He was about to kill her, so we dealt with him accordingly. Also, Yamazaki and Shimada, who were in cleanup, reported that they found another unconscious ronin not far from there."

"And your story?" Hijikata turned to Ayame once again.

Ayame sighed. She knew it would come to this. "To be honest, I have no idea how I got there. I was hit in the head, and the next thing I know was lying on the ground in an alleyway not far from where you found me. This is my first time being in Kyoto, actually."

Hijikata's eyes narrowed as he pondered on what Ayame said. "Explain how you dealt with the four ronin, assuming the other one is with them."

"Wait a second." Harada said. "She's the one who beat up the four ronin?"

"All four bodies were only unconscious without any wounds on them." Saito explained, and that seemed enough for Harada, but it still didn't hide the surprise in his face. The rest who didn't know about it looked equally shocked.

"So what did those four ronin do that you had to beat them unconscious?" The man beside Kondou, Sanan, asked.

"As I said, I woke up in the alleyway with no idea how I got there, and since it was freezing, the first thing that came to mind was to find shelter against the cold. Unfortunately, I didn't have any money on me, so I figured I'd ask someone if they could give me some temporary place to stay."

"So you went and asked four ronin roaming the streets of Kyoto in the middle of the night. Genius." Nagakura snorted.

"It's not like I have a choice, if you actually stopped and think about it, even for a minute." Ayame rolled her eyes. "Who would want to let a stranger into their house in the middle of the night? Anyway, they seemed drunk when I approached, and wanted me to 'entertain' them for free housing. I refused, he caught my arm, so I kicked him between the legs and ran."

"With so much force that he fainted." Okita said, but he winced as he imagined the scene. "And what about the other three?"

"They chased me, so I fought back."

"Without any weapons?" Toudou asked, his eyes wide.

"Yes, and that's how I got this shoulder wound." Ayame pointed at her right shoulder. "And that was also about the time that crazy guy appeared and got cut up by Saito-san."

"So he found you because of that wound..." Sanan muttered.

Everyone contemplated on Ayame's story, and even if they asked about her past, she wasn't worried, and she'll just say she has trouble remembering because of the trauma she suffered on her head.

"And where were you before you blacked out?" Hijikata asked.

_Thought so._ "That's the problem, I can't seem to remember. Every time I do, I have this terrible, head-splitting headache."

"If that's the case, then we won't force you." Kondou said. "But I do know that Toshi agreed to let you stay, and I want to know why he made such a decision last night."

"Yes, the initial decision was to kill me, as I witnessed something all of you didn't want me witnessing, but I offered him a much better deal." Ayame smirked. "Isn't that right, Hijikata-san? It seems like you haven't slept at all, even after what I said last night. If you continue like this, you might just collapse one day in front of your men."

"Toshi? But he seems fine to me." Kondou shot her a quizzical look.

"Oh, don't let appearances fool you. I'm betting he hasn't had proper sleep for at least six days now."

Hijikata frowned, not pleased that Ayame has just told everyone in the room about his lack of sleep. "You got me."

"And Kondou-san, you've had a hemorrhoid for quite some time now, it even bothers you when sitting down, judging from the way you shift in your seat every once in a while. Nagakura-san, why didn't you tell anybody about the slight pain in your left ankle? If you continue like this, it'll grow worse, you know? Okita-san, I could see that that stomachache is still bothering you."

"Urk." Both Nagakura and Kondou winced. It looks like Ayame hit where it hurt most.

"I told you she's good." Okita chuckled despite his stomachache.

"I'm not a physician, nor have I had formal training in becoming one, but both my parents are doctors and I grew up learning medicine. I remember my father always praising me for having a sharp eye in detecting illnesses in people." Ayame said. "So I'm here to offer my services as a free stay-in physician."

"But if you don't know how to treat people, then what good are you as a physician?" Nagakura asked, as if not pleased with the fact that she told everyone he's in pain.

"I didn't say I don't know how to treat people. Making ointments and medicine is easy enough, once I know what's wrong with the person and I have my hands on the necessary ingredients."

"That so..." Sanan said. "Then I don't see any reason to not let her stay. After all, she's offering all that only for a shelter. I say we don't get that kind of offer everyday."

"That's true. What does everybody think?"

"Fine by me." Harada shrugged, so did Nagakura.

Yukimura, Heisuke, and Inoue all nodded as well.

"I don't want to lose somebody so interesting." Okita smiled.

Saito was silent as ever.

"Fine, you're allowed to stay." Hijikata said. "But we have a few conditions. First of all, you are allowed to operate and wander about inside the compound, but you cannot leave the place without my permission and without anybody escorting you. Second, I'm afraid you'd have to dress up as a boy for as long as you're with us. It'll create far more problems for what its worth if word got out that a woman is staying with the Shinsengumi. Third, you will not say a word about last night to anyone at all."

Ayame nodded. "Sure, alright, and consider what I saw last night forgotten. But do you mind if I ask something?"

"Go ahead."

"Is it alright if I ask some money to buy clothes? I don't want to live off of somebody's clothing for the rest of my life. And also some money to buy herbs."

"Why herbs? Can't you just buy medicine at the local apothecary shop?" Heisuke asked. "That's what we always do."

"Of course that's what you do if none of you know how to mix herbs and make medicine." Ayame sighed. "And besides, it's cheaper. Do you know how much doctors earn off from the money you used to buy the medicine from the very same herbs that cost half the price?"

"Alright." Hijikata nodded. "If that's all, then you're dismissed."

With that, he went out of the room. The rest, however, were very interested in the newcomer whose life Hijikata so easily decided to spare. You don't get to see the Demon Commander of the Shinsengumi do that everyday.

"You've impressed me once again, Ayame-chan." Okita approached and Ayame raised an eyebrow at him. Since when did they get close enough to let him call her on a first-name basis? And...Ayame-_chan_?

"Thank you. But I do have a question. These clothes I'm wearing are different from the one I wore last night, and I noticed that my wound is taken care of. I want to know who did it."

"Well, since we came back very late last night with no women at all in the Shinsengumi, and you were in dire need of medical attention and a change of clothes, we just had to make do with the people present last night." Okita said as he wrapped an arm around Saito's shoulders, which was quickly slapped away.

"Souji! You can't just crack a vulgar joke like that in front of a woman!" Kondou said. "I'm terribly sorry. We would never allow any men to do such a thing to an unconscious woman."

"It's alright. I've pretty much expected that from him." Ayame said, unfazed. After knowing about his personality, it was not difficult to not take his words seriously. However, it was still a challenge to know whether he is really serious or not, so one has to consider both possibilities when talking to such a man. "And as long as it's not any of you men, then it's fine."

"Eh? But I thought you wanted to know who..."

"Yes, and I already know who. For all of this, I thank you, Yukimura-san." Ayame said as she nodded at the person sitting beside Okita. "It's good to know that I'm not the only woman here."

"Damn, you really are sharp. It's true she looks prettier than an average boy, but how did you figure out her gender when she hasn't even said or done anything?" Okita asked as he put a hand on the girl's head.

"I'm a girl myself, of course I can differentiate a boy and a girl, with or without disguise."

"That's so cool, Morizawa-san." Chizuru said after she recovered from her initial surprise. "How did you manage to know all of that in just a glance? And your disguise is far more perfect than mine, too."

"All it takes is proficient knowledge in medicine and a sharp eye. And not really, even if I dress up as a girl, I'd probably end up acting like a guy wearing a dress anyway." Ayame chuckled. "Also, can I call you Chizuru? After all, you're the only other girl here. You can call me Ayame."

"Of course!" Chizuru beamed, excited at the prospect of having a female friend amidst a community of men. "Mind if I ask how old are you?"

"I just turned sixteen a few months ago."

"Did you hear that, Heisuke? She's younger than you and yet she can defeat four ronin barehanded, while you can barely defend yourself with a sword." Nagakura said as he teased the young man.

"Shut up! They were drunk and she probably just got lucky!" Heisuke swapped Nagakura's hand that was on top of his head.

"Now, now, Heisuke. You're supposed to compliment a lady." Harada sighed.

"No. I think Toudou-san is right. If they weren't drunk I'd probably be lying dead in an alley." Ayame shook her head.

"..." Heisuke looked as if he swallowed something sour. "But even if they were drunk, it's still pretty impressive..."

"Now that's the way to go, kid." Nagakura laughed and Heisuke just stomped on his foot, the inured one.

"You can just call me Heisuke. It feels weird to be called Toudou-san, even from someone younger."

"Alright, then, Heisuke." Ayame said as she smiled at him while Nagakura held his foot behind him and cursed at Heisuke.

"You son of a...! You didn't have to step on the injured one! And don't you people just ignore me when I'm in pain!"

Everyone laughed as Ayame approached Nagakura who was sitting on the floor, still holding his foot and looking as if he was about to cry. Ayame examined the ankle and said it was just a minor sprain but could grow worse if not treated immediately. She then suggested him to refrain from doing anything too strenuous.

"Heh, before she said you were injured you were all normal and now that she blew your cover, you act like you're dying." Harada snorted. "Hey, Ayame, don't get fooled by him. Actually, he just wants you to touch him."

"Hey, don't make it sound so perverted!"

"But you didn't deny it at all." Heisuke pointed out, which made him in an even more awkward situation.

"You guys..." Chizuru sighed and then perked up as if remembering something. "Oh, isn't it Okita-san and Heisuke-kun's turn to patrol today?"

"Eh, you didn't have to remind me, Chizuru-chan~" Okita frowned, so did Heisuke.

"Ah, I completely forgot about that! I gotta go get prepared, see ya later, Ayame, Chizuru!"

"Take care, Heisuke-kun." Chizuru said as they watched him leave, followed by a depressed Okita. "You, too, Okita-san."

"Hey, Sano, mind giving me a hand?" Nagakura turned to Harada, who just sighed and helped him up. "Damn that Heisuke, stepping on my injured foot. If you could help me get back to my room, that'd be great."

"Yeah, yeah. But you owe me a drink for this."

"Guh, you do know that my budget is little tight right now, right?"

Harada ignored him. "Chizuru, Ayame, I'll go and bring this guy back to his room to rest and make sure he doesn't do anything to worsen his sprain."

Once they left, Sanan suggested Chizuru take Ayame on a tour of the Shinsengumi headquarters, and Chizuru grabbed Ayame's hand almost too excitedly and led her out of the room, leaving Sanan, Kondou, and Saito.

"I wasn't expecting a new addition to the people just only weeks after Yukimura-kun came." Kondou sighed. "Though I do guess that having a stay-in physician to look after the men 24/7 isn't that bad of an idea."

"What's more, except for the budget we have to allot for the extra mouth to feed, we don't have to pay her a single penny, which is far more worth it than paying for a doctor and medicine." Sanan added. "But she _is_ an interesting young girl."

Saito said nothing as the two conversed, but he agreed with Sanan. For a girl her age to be able to defeat four ronin all on her own and without a single weapon, she truly is intriguing. It would've been hard enough for any of their men to fight four enemies at once, but barehanded? He'd have to inquire more about it from her at a later time. Perhaps she could teach some of them a few of her techniques. It would be invaluable knowledge if ever their weapons cannot be used during a fight.

"Hajime-kun?" Kondou's voice pulled Saito back from his own thoughts and looked up at him. "You look deep in thought. What were you thinking about?"

"I was only thinking of the barehanded techniques Morizawa used." Saito honestly said.

"Ah, yes. It is indeed noteworthy, to be able to fight back without any weapon and only a single scratch on her." Sanan nodded. "Not to mention her medical knowledge and intuition. Over all, she is an extremely gifted and rare child. I do hope that she could aid the Shinsengumi and our exploits. In fact, I could already think of many ways in how she could help us."

"Sanan-san, that doesn't sound so nice. And our agreement was to only make use of her medical expertise." Kondou said.

"That is true." Sanan sighed. "Anyway, I've work to finish, so pardon me."

"Ah, now you that said it, I also have to prepare myself to meet with one of the Bakufu officials." Kondou stood up almost the same time Sanan did, and he winced. "Ah, Morizawa-kun sure is amazing, to be able to know that I have hemorrhoid without me telling. I'd have to ask her how to deal with this later when I get back."

"Kondou-san, I believe that's not something you want to say out loud, even if everybody already knows about it." Sanan said as he walked behind Kondou and out of the room. Saito sat in silence for a while before deciding to go back to his room and practice his writing.

Meanwhile, in the courtyard of the compound, Chizuru was telling Ayame all about the life in the Shinsengumi.

"...but now I'm the one who makes their food. After all, it's all I could do to help, unlike Ayame-san, who is also the child of a doctor and yet knows much more about medicine than I do."

"Chizuru, you don't have say that. It's not in everyone's best interest to study medicine, and besides, you said your father is always out, right? Its impossible to teach you more in dept medical things with him always out of the house."

"You're right." Chizuru smiled. "But what about your parents, Ayame-san? I want to hear some things about them, too."

"Ah, them? Well, they died a few years back, in an accident." Ayame smiled as she said so, trying not make the atmosphere heavy.

"Oh, I'm so sorry...!"

"No, you don't have to apologize. There's no way you would have known, and it's only natural for people to ask of those things. Besides, I'm over it already." Ayame gave a lighthearted laugh.

"I see. Ah, why don't I show you the rooms of the captains? It would be bad if you accidentally entered their rooms without them knowing." Chizuru said, changing the subject. "The one right there is Inoue-san, Okita-san and Saito-san's room, while the one beside it belongs to Harada-san, Nagakura-san, and Heisuke-kun."

"Huh? They don't have their own rooms?"

"Well, empty rooms are scarce right now, and the only people who can have a room of their own is Kondou-san, Hijikata-san, and Sanan-san. Also, I was one of the people having a room to my own, being the only female and all, until now."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, you're sharing a room with me now." Chizuru giggled. "Last night, when Okita-san and Saito-san came and woke me up, I was terrified to see an unconscious Ayame-san carried by Saito-san, and I thought you were...well, dead. But they explained everything to me and I cleaned you up, stopped the bleeding, and dressed the wound. They then told me that I'll be sharing the same room as you. At first I was scared, to be sharing a room with a stranger, but now I'm actually happy to have a companion. No more lonely nights."

"It must be hard being the only girl here."

"You said it." Chizuru said with a serious face. "And it was difficult enough to hide my gender from the other men because my voice is all squeaky and obviously feminine."

As they continued to chat, a soldier appeared and called for Chizuru.

"Yukimura-san, the commander is asking for you, and he's asking for Morizawa-san as well."

"A-ah, right, we'll be there right this instant." As Chizuru thanked the soldier, the way she intentionally and suddenly deepened her voice made Ayame laugh. "Huh? Ayame-san, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing. Let's go, can't let Hijikata wait for us." Ayame stopped laughing, and it only made Chizuru more curious. However, she couldn't let Hijikata wait, or else they'll suffer from his lectures.

As quickly as they can without running, Chizuru brought Ayame to Hijikata's room and announced their presence.

"Hijikata-san, you asked for us?"

"Come in." The voice inside said, and Chizuru slid the door open. Inside the room, Hijikata was sitting at the table writing something with his back facing the door. He didn't even look back when they came in. He must be really busy.

"Um, Hijikata-san...?" Chizuru called out.

"Wait a second." Hijikata said. After a few more strokes of his brush he folded the paper neatly and placed it aside before turning to them. "I understand that you're giving her a tour of the place?"

"Yes. Um, is there anything you need from us?"

"Nothing, really. I just wanted to give her the money she asked for the clothes and herbs. Oh, and Yukimura, can you help me give this to Sanan first? I want to have a talk with Morizawa."

"R-right." Chizuru accepted the paper and stepped out of the room, but not before casting a glance at Ayame, who caught it and saw that Chizuru was worried. After she left, Hijikata ordered her to sit, and she did.

"So, Morizawa, as you are now officially the physician of us Shinsengumi soldiers, we'd have to give you a room to set up as your clinic."

"Ah, Hijikata-san, I don't think that's really necessary. I heard from Chizuru that bedrooms are already scarce, so you don't really have to allot a room just to be my clinic." Ayame shook her head.

"But it will difficult for you to work, and we also need a room to act as an infirmary for the wounded and sick soldiers." Hijikata frowned. "I do suppose that one of the storage rooms could be tidied up a bit..."

Ayame couldn't deny the fact that having a clinic will indeed be more convenient, but in doing so, she's just creating more problems for the Shinsengumi. As she was about to say something back, she heard footsteps and Chizuru announce herself; she was back from delivering the letter.

"Come in." Hijikata said.

Chizuru did, and she looked like she was even more worried. "Um, Hijikata-san, may I ask what you two were talking about?"

"Hm? Oh, it's nothing, just discussing things about a clinic and where to set it up."

At this, Chizuru relaxed. She was obviously thinking of something much worse, like how Hijikata changed his mind of letting Ayame stay or something of similar matter.

"If that's the case, then we could make our own bedroom a clinic for the soldiers to come if ever they feel any discomforts." Chizuru suggested.

"I was also thinking of the same thing, but I needed to ask if you were willing to do it."

"Of course! It wouldn't trouble us at all! Right, Ayame-san?"

Ayame nodded, but there was still an unresolved problem. "But what about the infirmary and sick bay?"

"I believe the storage room beside our room could be used as a sick bay. There weren't many things there to begin with, and we could move it to another storage room."

"Really, Yukimura, you have the same exact thoughts as I did." Hijikata sighed. "Alright, now that's decided, I'll tell some of the men to move the items right now. Yukimura, could you call Shimada for me?"

"Of course. We'll be leaving now."

Hijikata only nodded as he returned to write on more official papers while Chizuru and Ayame excused themselves. Fortunately, Shimada was also on his way to find Hijikata, so they didn't have to find him anymore.

"Ne, Chizuru, what time is it right now?" Ayame suddenly remembered something when they walked out into the courtyard again.

"Huh? I think it's about 2 hours before the sun sets, why?"

"What? It's already this late? What time did I wake up?"

"A few hours past noon. You seemed to be really tired last night, not to mention weak from the blood loss, so we didn't think it was a good idea to wake you up early in the morning."

"But you let me sleep until the afternoon." Ayame sighed.

"But it can't be helped. You were wounded, so it's only natural to let you rest."

"I guess you're right..." But now that she's here, in this..._era_, it was hard to track the time without the help of a time-keeping device. Looks like she'll have to learn to tell the time without one.

"Ah, it's about time to get dinner started." Chizuru said as she looked up in the sky.

"Want me to help you?"

"Oh, no, it's alright! Ayame-san, you can just sit down and rest. After all, you are wounded."

Ayame shrugged. She doesn't feel the pain anymore. "No, actually, I feel perfectly fine. Really, I want to help, as thanks for being my first female friend here and showing me around."

Chizuru blushed, embarrassed. "A-alright, then. And you know it's not really fair when you smile at me like that when you're dressed up as a guy."

"What's this? Is Chizuru falling for me?" Ayame teased. "Is my male persona really that handsome and charismatic?"

"Pfft, I would never fall in love you even if you were a guy." Chizuru pouted.

"Ah, could it be because Chizuru already has somebody she likes?" Ayame teased further, and the blush on Chizuru's face confirmed it. "My, my, Chizuru. From what I recall, you've only been here for two weeks, right? And you already found yourself a target. You naughty girl."

"Ayame-san! Cut it out!" Chizuru whimpered. "And it's not like it's love or anything...it's more of an admiration..."

Looking at the blushing girl, Ayame instantly knew who it was, but she decided to ask her about it at another time, when the feelings grow stronger and make it more embarrassing for Chizuru. It wasn't like she enjoyed seeing her in an uncomfortable situation. It's more like what best friends do to each other, to try and embarrass each other but they know that deep down inside, they're happy for their friend.

"Alright, let's go to the kitchen and start cooking. I bet Nagakura will start whining if we don't finish making dinner in time."

Chizuru giggled. "How did you know that?"

"He just seemed like the person who would do exactly that." Ayame shrugged as both of them walked towards the kitchen.

* * *

So, how was it?

Also, can you guys guess who I'm paring the OC with? Well, I said I wasn't rushing it, but I do hope that you guys might get a hint. Or was it too much of a give away?

If you find some Japanese words you aren't familiar with, you can always search it up. I mean, if you're reading this, then most probably you're also using the internet. C'mon, it's only a few clicks away, don't get too lazy.

I actually have something more in store for this story, but that would have to wait.

I might or might not update this story soon enough, so I apologize in advance if I will let you wait for a long time.

I also apologize for those who recognize me as the jerk-a** author who rarely updates her own fics, I have to say that it'll have to wait even longer. I swear, I'll finish it! But I just don't know how long it'll take. So...have fun waiting! **[****BRICKED]**

Anyway, tell me how this turned out and your opinions via reviews! I never get tired receiving those. I don't think anybody here dislikes getting reviews. Or...do they?

Ciao~


	2. Chapter 2 A Little Bit More than Normal

Here's chapter 2! Exactly two weeks from the last chapter!

Thank you so much for those who reviewed, favorited, and followed this story, especially those who left their thoughts on the review section. I appreciate all of it.

Just for clarification purposes: since this is a fanfic and I'm too lazy to do my research, what happens in the future chapters might or might not be corresponding to the real life Shinsengumi and it's history, so don't get all "HOLY SHIT THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN AT ALL" or "WHAT THE HELL, THE ORDER IS ALL MESSED UP" on me. Sure, I'll try to follow the chronological order of events, but since I plan on adding my own twists and turns and may not remember everything in the game/anime/history, just think of this as another stand-alone kind of story, like in a parallel universe or some shit like that.

Also, I accidentally stumbled upon information that Saito in the game/anime isn't that tall, about 5'6 tall, or 168 cm, compared to the RL Saito Hajime, who is supposedly one of the tallest men in the Shinsengumi. Well, to be brutally honest, and no offense to anyone at all, I don't think 168 cm is that much tall, and for the sake of a future side-plot, I plan on making him taller than he is in the anime. At least 175 cm maybe?

I apologize if I made any Hakuouki character out of character here, but I did my best. It's my exam week this week and I didn't really have much time to think about the plot, so it might seem like nobody did much in this chapter. But hey, so was the beginning of the game, where it was so boring that they skipped a few months of game time.

And about Kuchihatenu Sakura no and SSL, I did some research, and I found out that SSL is actually a bonus chapter in Hakuouki: Zuisoroku, meaning that Kuchihatenu is most probably based on that, and since the legit game isn't out yet, most of Kuchihatenu is just slightly based on SSL, which explains the similar uniform and such. Oh well, not that the differences matter. I'll still base this game around Kuchihatenu, and use some information from SSL whenever that information becomes available.

That's pretty much it about my rants, so enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Hakuouki or its characters. I just wished I owned Saito (sigh).

* * *

Chapter 2 A Little Bit More than Normal

By the time the sun has completely set, everyone has already returned from their work and are gathered in the common room. It was time for dinner, and they were all patiently waiting for the food. Normally, the captains would take turns in preparing dinner, and who ever didn't have patrolling duty that day were usually the ones making it. But ever since Chizuru came in, she insisted on helping out by making dinner for them instead, claiming that she wants to help in her own way. And its not like the men were complaining.

"Man, what's taking Chizuru so long?" Nagakura asked out loud. "My stomach is crying, and I feel like crying too."

"The person who did nothing all day has no right to say that." Heisuke said. "And I saw Ayame helping her out, so it shouldn't take too long. We just have to be patient."

"Ayame cooking in the kitchen?" Harada raised an eyebrow, not sure what to feel. It would be great if that girl had amazing culinary skills, but judging from her attitude, it wouldn't surprise Harada at all if she added some...unnecessary ingredients.

"Heh~ Now I'm actually curious how our dinner tonight might turn out." Okita said in his usual smirk. "And I guess if she makes our food together with Chizuru-chan, that means we'll have to be wary and try not to insult her. Who knows what she might add in it to get back at us?"

"Uh, Souji, you're making me scared right now..." Nagakura frowned. He had the right to be scared. After all, the attitude he gave her when they were introduced wasn't exactly nice, and he hasn't apologized for it yet.

Footsteps were heard and Chizuru came in to bring the first few trays of food. She gave it to Kondou and Hijikata first. "The rest are still in the kitchen, but Ayame-san is bringing them now."

"All of them?" Heisuke asked. If he counted correctly, there should still be eight trays of food, and no way one could carry all of that.

"Really, Chizuru, you run off and let me carry all the load. What kind of friend are you?" Ayame's voice was heard as she approached the common room, and Heisuke dashed out to help her. "Uwah, careful, careful!"

"How the hell did you manage that? Isn't it too heavy?" Heisuke entered with four trays of food in hand, and as soon as Nagakura saw it, he jumped onto him and snatched one of the trays.

"Food!"

"Whoa, Nagakura-san, relax; it won't run away." Ayame said as she distributed the food to everyone.

"He's been crying about how hungry he is." Hijikata sighed.

"Ah, I do suppose we took our time in the kitchen. I'm sorry."

"No, I'm the one who should be sorry. Ayame-san was teaching me some things while we were cooking, so it took longer than usual. But, who knew Ayame-san was also good in cooking? The food she made is amazing!" Chizuru smiled apologetically, but quickly said as everyone examined their own tray of food.

"Ne, Ayame-chan." Okita called. "You didn't add anything else in the food...right?"

Ayame looked at him with a blank expression, as if not understanding what he said, and then gave a mischievous grin. "That's for you to find out."

The way she said it and how it was combined with her smile made Okita's own smile drop, and he was now looking worriedly at his own food.

"Gah, who cares? It's chow time!" Nagakura hurriedly sat down in front of his tray and started eating. After a few mouthfuls, however, he stopped and stared at his food like it was some foreign object he didn't recognize.

"Shinpachi...?" Harada called out to him, suddenly worried that the food _might_ contain something unpleasant. The others also cast him a worried glance and looked at their own tray while Ayame looked on with a smirk and Chizuru trying hard to resist giggling.

"Oi, Nagakura, say something. You're making us all nervous." Hijikata ordered.

As if reacting due to Hijikata's orders, beads of tears suddenly flowed down his cheeks. The others were surprised to see a guy such as Nagakura cry due to the food he ate, so their immediate conclusion was that the food _did_ have something bad. But on further observation, they realized that those were tears of _joy_.

"T-this...s-such...wonderful flavor...I've never had such good food in my whole life. I feel like dying and ascending to heaven..." In response to what he just said, more tears flowed down and he started eating again.

"Seriously?" Heisuke glanced at Nagakura and gingerly ate a small piece, and then his eyes lit up. "Uwah! This is good! This is seriously good!"

"I know, right?" Chizuru finally gave in and laughed. "It's really amazing how Ayame-san could do all this without adding in any special ingredients."

"So she did all this with normal ingredients?"

"As normal as the ingredients can be in the market." Chizuru nodded.

"If you really wanted me to add something else I could, you know?" Ayame added as she watched the others down the food in front of them. Other than Nagakura and Heisuke, the rest ate their food in a more civilized manner, but according to Chizuru, it was obvious that they were trying their best not to eat like a bunch of savages who hasn't eaten in a month.

"No, no! This is perfectly fine! You don't have to add anything else!" At Ayame's words, Nagakura looked up and said with a hint of panic in his voice.

"But I guess whether or not to add 'special' ingredients solely depends on the person who made it." Ayame snorted, ignoring their fearful looks, and turned to Chizuru. "If you want, I could teach you how to cook better."

"Of course!" Chizuru said. She has been raised only by her father, a man, and without any woman in the house she had to teach herself the basics of house-keeping, including cooking. It was already good enough that she could make edible food when there was nobody to guide her, but now that there's someone who was willing to teach her, she couldn't let the opportunity pass. Besides, it would greatly benefit the others, too. "But Ayame-san, how did you know how to make such wonderful food?"

"Ah, well, before they...left, my mother was great cook, and she taught me all she knew about cooking. It also served me well when I was living on my own."

"I see." Chizuru cast her eyes down. She didn't mean to bring that topic up again.

"Gah! Shinpachi-san! You took it. I saw it with my own eyes! You took it from my plate!"

"Don't be such a stingy brat, Heisuke." Nagakura said as he attempted to get another piece of meat from Heisuke's plate. But Heisuke was quick enough to move the plate away from Nagakura. Seeing as he couldn't reach it anymore, he moved his target to the plate of the person sitting in front of him, Ayame's. "Ah, Ayame, I see you aren't eating much, so I'll just get some...!"

Just as his chopsticks almost snatched away a piece of food, it was blocked by another pair of chopsticks, and no matter how he tried, he couldn't even pull it away. He looked up at the hand that held the chopsticks, and further up to see Ayame's wide, and somehow dark, smile.

"Now, now, Nagakura-san." Ayame said, her smile unwavering. "You really think that getting my food is a good idea? But if you really want it, then I suppose you'd have to go through me, first."

Seeing her smile, Nagakura winced, and he quickly pulled back his own chopsticks as soon as he felt Ayame's loosen. He turned to look away from her as he resumed eating. This time, he didn't snatch anybody's food and concentrated on his own.

"Dear me, this is the first time I've seen somebody other than Saito-kun scare Nagakura-kun with just a look when it came to food." Sanan commented.

"This is also a battlefield. If you can't even protect what's yours, then how can you call yourself a warrior?" Ayame said while keeping an eye on Nagakura. Saito nodded in silent agreement as he ate.

The serious face both Ayame and Saito had when it came to food and the way they agreed to each other together with Nagakura's sheepish look was comical, and the rest couldn't help but laugh.

"I haven't had such an interesting dinner in a long time now." Inoue said.

"And that smile of yours could be compared to Okita's own sadistic grin." Harada looked at Okita.

"No way. Hers is way scarier than mine."

"And you didn't even try to deny it." Harada sighed. "And Shinpachi, I don't really mind if you try to steal other's food under normal circumstances, but stealing other's food when you've done nothing for the entire day will only make you fat."

"That's true." Heisuke nodded. "I don't think anybody would want to see a flabby Shinpachi."

"If that happens, we'll just have to whip him up in shape again, isn't that right, Hijikata-san?" Ayame looked at Hijikata, who returned her smile with one of his own signature "Devil's Grin".

"I might have an idea of what you're thinking about..."

Nagakura couldn't stand it anymore and swept his finger across the room, pointing towards everybody. "This ain't fair! All of you are ganging up against me!"

"But it's for your own good, Nagakura-san." Ayame chuckled. "By the way, I found some useable plants in the courtyard and added them to the dish who needed them most. Okita-san, it might just treat your stomach, but if it hurts tomorrow, tell me immediately. Kondou-san, the pain would be subsiding after a few hours. As for Nagakura-san, I added some to prevent swelling, though I'd have to apply ointment on it as soon as possible."

"But isn't the plants in the courtyard just some useless weed?"

"Oh, there are a lot of things you don't know about herbs. Even if it looks like useless weed, it might still have some medical properties. Some even have poison when you mix it up in large amounts." Ayame said. "Hijikata-san, I would like to request permission to go and buy herbs tomorrow."

"Permission granted." Hijikata nodded. "If I remember correctly, tomorrow is Harada and Saito's turn to patrol. You can go with them tomorrow."

"Thank you. Oh, and I almost forgot. I didn't add anything in your food now Hijikata-san, but if you still won't heed my advice, I _might_ just add some sedatives in your food and drink just to make you have some proper sleep." This Ayame said with grave seriousness that was hard to ignore, and as Hijikata looked into Ayame's eyes, he knew that even if he didn't eat or drink anything she gave him, she would still find a way to make him sleep, which was far more easier yet painful than the former method. It's not like he thinks he'll lose against her, but he didn't want to take his chances.

"Fine, I'll try sleeping tonight."

"_Try_?"

"Alright, alright. I _will_ sleep." Hijikata sighed. He was wondering if he made the right decision to spare and employ such a difficult woman.

"That's better." Ayame smiled, satisfied that she had her way with him, and they resumed their dinner.

Once dinner was done, the people who were in charge of washing the dishes went to it immediately, and since it was Chizuru and Ayame who made the food, they were spared from the job. Hijikata said he'll go finish up some papers right now so he could sleep peacefully later and Chizuru said she'll go and prepare some tea to warm up their bodies and wash down the food. Sanan and Kondou said they have some things to finish up as well and left the room, leaving Heisuke, Okita, Saito, and Ayame in the common room.

"Ne, Ayame-chan, can I ask a question?"

"Why are you asking my permission?" Ayame sighed. Okita never bothered to ask for permission to say something before.

"Well, I wouldn't want to get on the bad side of somebody who could probably poison me without me knowing." Okita shrugged. "And I take that as a yes. So, where did you learn to fight? It would be nice if you could teach us, too."

"Why are you interested in that? I thought you had swords with you already."

"There may be times where the katana cannot be used in battle, so knowing how to fight barehanded is a must." Saito answered for Okita, as he was also thinking of the same thing.

_I would say I was trained in karate, but __it's 'modern' karate, something that hasn't existed up until after the Meiji Restoration. How do I explain to them something that hasn't existed yet?_

"Uh, well, from what my sensei taught me, he said it's a form of Okinawan martial arts, and I've been trained in it since I could walk, or so I was told." _Or more accurately, a mix of Okinawan and Chinese martial arts, but I don't think the whole truth matters that much._ "If you want, I could teach some of the basics to you tomorrow."

"So what are the main forms of this martial art?" Heisuke asked, now interested, too.

"Um, it mainly uses punches and kicks, and could deal a sufficient amount of damage, could even be fatal, when used correctly."

"As what was demonstrated to us last night, with the four ronin." Okita grinned. "You say you've been learning it since you could remember, and that would be more than ten years now. Judging from the number of years and how you disarmed and knocked out four men, I'd say you're pretty much a master in it."

"If you're talking about the basics, sure, I'm a master. But I'm pretty sure I still have a long way to go before I can really call myself a master of the art." Ayame sighed. It's not like having a 2nd degree black belt in karate mattered, but she still has a lot to learn.

"Does it matter? As long as you're capable of kicking ass, I'd say you're already a master. I mean, not everyone your age is capable of something like that." Okita said. "I know _I _would hate to face you in a fight."

"You're right." Thinking about it, ranks and degrees didn't matter in a time where wars and dispute raged across the land and you could get killed at any time possible, but Ayame wasn't sure what to think of that.

"And in exchange, we can teach you how to wield a sword."

"Ah, I think I'll pass."

"Why not? Isn't it better to know how to wield one than not knowing how at all?" Heisuke asked, not expecting that she would refuse. Okita was curious, too.

"Let's just say I'm not very fond of sharp edged things." Ayame shrugged.

"But what about knives? Using it is a must if you were able to cook that good, and though a katana is way bigger and heavier than a kitchen knife, there's not much of a difference, is there?" Heisuke pointed out.

"I have my reasons, and I would appreciate it if you don't pry any further." Ayame sighed. If they ask her further, she'd have to remember some very unpleasant memories. "Isn't it good enough that I'm willing to teach you what I know?"

"Looks like we won't be getting anything out of you anyway, so alright." Okita shrugged.

They heard footsteps, and Chizuru appeared with a tray of steaming tea. "The tea's ready!"

"Thanks, Chizuru-chan." Okita took a cup and sipped.

"What were the four of you talking about?" Chizuru asked as she sat down with them.

"Oh, we made Ayame-chan promise us to teach us her bare-handed fighting techniques."

"Oh! Can I watch?" Chizuru asked.

"You didn't have to ask, Chizuru. I bet everyone else would want to watch it, too."

"Can't miss out on that, can we?"

Harada and Nagakura, who were in charge of washing the dishes, appeared and joined in on the conversation. Chizuru offered them some tea and they chatted late into the night before Chizuru suggested that they head to bed, as Ayame's wounds hasn't fully healed yet and insisting she needs to rest, despite Ayame's protests that she slept for most of the day.

"Just like you, it's impossible to defy Chizuru once she's set up her mind." Heisuke said.

"So in a way, you two are very similar." Saito added.

Seeing the determined look in her eyes, Ayame sighed and followed Chizuru to their room, leaving the men to themselves.

"Two headstrong women in the Shinsengumi..." Okita mused. "I wonder how everything will turn out from this day onward..."

_Indeed._ Saito thought to himself as he watched the two girls leave the room. He can't be sure of what to feel about that.

Back in their room, as Ayame was lying down with Chizuru's futon beside her, she started contemplating her life here.

_I shouldn't get too close with the people here._ Ayame suddenly realized, staring at the ceiling._ I don't belong in this era, and when the time comes to say our farewells, it would be hard if I established a connection with them. Besides, it wouldn't hurt as much if something ever happened..._

"Ayame-san?" She heard Chizuru call her.

"Yes?"

"How long do you plan on staying here in the Shinsengumi?"

"Why the question? Well, I don't think Hijikata will let me leave since I'm a witness, so I guess for as long as the Shinsengumi is around, I guess."

"That's true..." A short pause. "Ayame-san, we've just met, but I could tell that you'd make a great friend. Let's stay friends forever, okay?"

"Okay." Ayame tried not to make her tone sound forced. _You shouldn't have said that..._ Ayame sighed inwardly as she felt Chizuru slowly fall asleep beside her. _Let's just see how I can leave in peace after a made a promise like that. Assuming I can return._

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

When Ayame woke up, the room was still dark, and yet she couldn't go back to sleep.

_Must be because I slept most of the day yesterday._ Ayame thought as she stood up and changed. Chizuru was still sleeping soundly and Ayame did her best to not create any noise and wake her. Slowly leaving the room, Ayame stepped out into the hallway and took a deep breath.

It was cold, and even the faintest hint of sunlight doesn't help a bit. The sky was brightening up, but it was still a long time before complete sunrise, and everything around her is still in it's sleeping state. The mansion was quiet, without sound at all, and everything was tranquil.

_I supposed I still have some time before the rest wakes up, so I might as well warm up myself and practice some kata._ Ayame slowly walked to the big dojo practice room, which Chizuru showed her yesterday and remembering the way there. Fortunately, Ayame didn't have much difficulty finding it, and she was glad that nobody was there. Standing in the middle of the room, she stretched out her body and began doing some warm-up exercises while careful not to make too much noise that might attract attention. It would be kind of embarrassing if somebody saw her practicing on her own.

After a while, satisfied that she's warmed up enough, she exhaled slowly and lowered her body in a defensive stance and started her kata practice.

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

"Oh, Souji, Hajime, you two going to practice?" In the hallway outside of their rooms, Okita and Saito was met by Harada, Nagakura, and Heisuke, surprising them.

"Yep." Okita answered. "But this is surprising, seeing Shinpachi-san and Heisuke up this early."

"I would still be sleeping only if Nagakura would stay still in his own futon and not roll over me." Heisuke sighed. "He knocked the air out of me, together with my sleepiness."

"Ah, good morning." They heard a soft voice and turned around to see a still sleepy Chizuru poking her head out of her room.

"Good morning, Chizuru-chan. Are you still sleepy? Sorry, we must've woken you up."

"No, it's alright, I was about to wake up anyway. By the way, did you see Ayame-san?"

"Ayame? Doesn't she share the same room with you?" Harada asked.

"Yes, she does, but when I woke up, she wasn't there."

"This is strange...maybe we'll find her somewhere in the compound." Heisuke said, scratching his head. "But what is she doing this early in the morning?"

"That's for us to find out. Where do you think she went? My bet is at the courtyard." Harada suggested.

"She's probably in the kitchen." Nagakura said. "I'm gonna go search for her there."

"Shinpachi-san, you're probably just hungry and want to find something to eat." Heisuke nudged the big guy. "I'll go with Sano to the courtyard."

Saito didn't say anything and he left as if he didn't want to have anything to do with this.

"Eh? Aren't you going to find Ayame-chan? You're so mean, Hajime-kun. But oh well, I'm going with you. She'll probably show herself when it's time for breakfast."

"That's hypocrisy, Okita-san." Chizuru sighed as she went back to her room to get prepared while the rest of the men left.

As they made their way to the practice room, Saito suddenly stopped, surprising Okita, who wasn't paying much attention and admiring the garden outside. "Hajime-kun...?"

"Somebody is in the practice room."

"Eh? Nobody goes in there this early. Who might it be?" Okita said, now aware of somebody's presence. From the practice room, they could hear the ruffling of clothes and the hissing of someone's sharp exhales, as if somebody was practicing. However, the lack of the noise the katana or bokuto produces when being swung around made it clear that somebody wasn't practicing their kenjutsu, but something else.

"Only one way to find out." Saito said as he silently approached the room and quietly slid open the door.

As they entered the room, they saw Ayame, but she didn't see them, as her back was facing the door, and she continued her kata without knowing that two people had already entered the room and proceeded to watch her. As she moved her body, Okita and Saito watched in amazement, entranced by her movements. She was combining punches and kicks, together with the occasional blocks and jumps, as if she was fighting an unseen opponent, and it was obvious from how she moved and the sharp exhales she produced after each attack the force she applied on each strike. The strength of her attacks, the swiftness of her movements, the gracefulness of her stances, and the killing aura she was emanating even without a real enemy in front of her was mesmerizing.

As she moved around, she finally faced the two, and the surprise was evident in her eyes. However, she did not stop. She continued her kata without a hint of hesitation and pretended that the two people who were watching her was not there. The blush on her face wasn't obvious due to her reddened complexion from exercise, covering her embarrassment, and she was grateful for that.

Ending her kata, she exhaled slowly as she stood up from her stance and bowed. Then, she faced the two men. "Well, I wasn't expecting either of you."

"That was amazing, Ayame-chan." Okita approached as he clapped his hands. "Even Saito was transfixed by you."

At this, Saito snapped out of his trance and coughed while glaring at Okita, and then added a compliment of his own. "Seeing how you moved, the fact that you can hold your own against armed men doesn't surprise me anymore."

"Thanks." Ayame gave a slight smile. "Well, I better freshen up and help Chizuru with breakfast."

"Hold on a second, Ayame-chan." Okita called out before Ayame stepped out of the room. "Seeing how you could move, does that mean that your shoulder wound has already healed?"

"Ah. You're right. I didn't feel any pain at all." She touched her shoulder in bewilderment. "It's like I never had a wound in the first place. I'll go check it out later."

After Ayame left the room, Okita and Saito looked at each other, both correctly guessing each other's thoughts. Saito was sure that her wound the other night wasn't shallow enough to be able to completely heal in such a short period of time, since he was the one who carried her and had a close look of her wound, and Okita judged it by the amount of blood he saw covering her old kimono. Something is definitely not right here, but they weren't sure what to do about it yet.

"Yo, so I see you found her." Nagakura entered the room. "I saw her hurrying away back all sweaty and such. Did you guys do something funny to her?"

"Of course we didn't." Okita rolled his eyes. "If we did, we probably wouldn't be standing here right now."

Saito nodded. "She'll most likely break our arms and legs."

Nagakura watched in confusion as he saw the two men wince while they imagined something really bad. By this time, Harada and Heisuke also entered the room.

"Hey, did you guys find her?" Heisuke asked.

"Yeah, she just left." Nagakura said to Harada and Heisuke, and then turned to Okita and Saito. "What was she doing here?"

"Oh, she was just practicing her kata, nothing much. You should've seen it. She wasn't fighting against any particular opponent, but after watching her moves, it isn't hard to imagine her permanently paralyzing a man with her bare hands." Okita explained, shivering at the thought of Ayame doing such a thing, probably while having a smile on her face. He has never imagined that a girl so young and pretty as Ayame could do a violent act like that. But that just made her even more interesting.

"That so." Harada said. "Well, I'll just have to see it for myself, then."

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

While breakfast was being served, and amid Nagakura and Heisuke's daily meal time bickering, Ayame ate her food in silent impassivity to everything around her and barely responding to any conversation targeted at her. And if she _did_ respond, she did so only with single syllable words. The people who noticed this, especially Chizuru, were worried, since her behavior is vastly different from yesterday, like there was something bothering her.

Of all the people there, only Okita and Saito had an idea of Ayame's strange behavior, and it was most likely linked to the question Okita asked about her shoulder wound a few hours ago, which only confirmed their suspicions. However, they still lack an explanation for it, and Saito plans on inquiring about it at a later time.

"Ayame-chan, what you did a while ago was amazing. It would be a waste if you didn't let Kondou-san and the others see it, too."

"...huh?" Ayame was pulled back from her own thoughts when she heard her name.

"What's this about, Souji?" Kondou asked, curious as to what Ayame did to earn Okita's praise.

"Well, Kondou-san, earlier this morning, me and Hajime-kun stumbled upon Ayame-chan in the practice room while she was practicing her kata. You've got to see it. Even Hajime-kun was entranced by her."

Saito frowned at Okita's choice of adjective. "Speak for yourself."

"Is that so? She must be really good if both Souji and Hajime-kun say so."

"I suppose it could provide some insight." Sanan said.

"Fine by me." Hijikata nodded but frowned. "However, you guys seem to be forgetting that you haven't even asked Morizawa if she's willing to do it."

Everyone turned to Ayame, who in turn just sighed. "Yeah, sure, whatever." But in all honesty, she wasn't excited at all.

"By the way, Morizawa." Hijikata called Ayame's attention. "Are you still planning on going out today?"

"Yes. The earlier I get my hands on some herbs, the better."

"Alright, then. Today is Harada and Saito's turn to patrol. It's not safe to be wandering about in town during these times, even if you know how to defend yourself, so you gotta stick with one of them." Hijikata gave a curt nod to both men in question and then at Ayame. "Especially when you still have that shoulder wound."

"Right..." Ayame fidgeted in her seat as her wound was mentioned again, and this didn't go unnoticed by Saito.

The rest of breakfast went by quickly, and after a few moments of rest, Harada brought Ayame to the gate to meet up with his and Saito's group.

"The area I'm assigned to has been unstable lately, and there aren't any shops where you can buy the things you need, so you'll go with Saito." Harada said as they set out and Ayame silently nodded, though she wasn't thrilled with the idea of staying with a tight-lipped man such as Saito.

They entered the town and after a few blocks, they split up, leaving Ayame under the care of Saito and his men. The area Saito's group was assigned to was a commercial district, but even with all the chatter around them, the silence between her and the group's captain was excruciating, especially when they're walking alongside each other. Small talk could be heard from the men behind them as they walked, and they seemed to acknowledge Ayame's presence as their physician, even talked about her with respect, and not once doubting her gender. They all believed her to be a man.

_At least I'm not having difficulties in hiding the fact that I'm a girl._ Though Ayame wasn't sure what to feel about that.

"You said you need to buy herbs?" Saito suddenly spoke up, startling her.

"Y-yes."

"There's an apothecary shop just ahead." He then turned his head to the men behind. "I'll accompany him to buy the things he need, you just continue patrolling. We'll catch up with you later."

"Yes, sir." The rest responded, and they split up.

Entering the shop, the shopkeeper literally threw himself upon Ayame and tried introducing her to a new medicine that was said to be able to cure almost any illness but was kindly rejected. However, he, just like any shopkeeper, refused to accept the rejection and tried to sell to her another medicine, and this time it was responded by a glare, and he let her wander about in the small shop without trying to bother her anymore; all this Saito watched with silent amusement.

After deciding on what to buy and paying for it, she approached Saito, who was leaning on the wall, waiting for her. "Saito-san? I'm done."

"Alright. You also said you plan on buying clothes, correct?"

"Yes."

"Let's get going, then." Saito exited the shop, so did Ayame.

Back on the streets, Saito led her to a clothing shop and says he'll wait outside. Not wanting to let him wait for long, Ayame quickly entered and picked a few kimono and hakama while quietly eyeing a particular kimono with intricate designs that was obviously for women. She was approached by the shopkeeper, who asked if "he" wanted to buy it for a certain lady, which Ayame quickly denied and left after paying for the clothes.

"That was quick."

"I didn't want to let you wait for long, and I hate nosy shopkeepers." Ayame sighed.

Saito nodded and motioned for them to get going. As Ayame silently walked beside Saito with the things she just bought in her arms, some of the things she bought, which was wrapped in paper, keeps on falling to the ground. Seeing she was having difficulty with the things she bought, Saito took a few of the items and carried it for her without saying anything, surprising Ayame.

_Huh, so this guy has a surprisingly sweet side, too._

As they continued walking in silence, Saito decided it was time to ask her what has been on his mind since that morning. "How is your wound?"

"Huh? Oh, my shoulder wound? It seemed like I was too concentrated with practice a while ago that I completely ignored it. I tend to ignore almost everything around me when I concentrate on something. When I left the room and relaxed, it started hurting again." Ayame tried to make it sound as convincing as she can, and she might've succeeded if only it was somebody other than Saito, and he gave her a look that told her he knew she was lying. "There's no escaping it, huh?"

"..."

"Actually, this morning, when I freshened up and checked on it, I wondered if I had actually gotten wounded at all."

"If you want, I could show you the kimono you were wearing on that night." Saito said. They were meaning to throw it away, since the blood stains were impossible to wash off anymore and the torn part was difficult to mend.

"No thanks." Ayame shook her head. "It's good to know that I'm not crazy and just made it all up. And my wound has completely disappeared, if that's what you're asking."

"Disappeared...?"

"Yes. The only thing that's left from that night is a thin pink line on where the cut was made. I could show it to you right now." Ayame said as she lifted her arm to slide the clothing away and show her shoulder, but was quickly stopped by Saito. "Ah, right, we're still in public. Maybe later, when we get back."

"There's no need for that." Saito said as he removed his hand from her shoulder. He did raise an eyebrow at her suggestion, though. What kind of woman would show her bare skin to a man she knew for only two days? She's unlike any other woman he has met, and he can't help but feel speechless at her boldness, which was ironic, considering that he's already silent most of the time.

Ayame shrugged, not realizing what was wrong. "But it's strange. As a doctor, I've never seen a wound such as mine heal in such a short period of time. Not even small cuts heal that fast."

Saito watched as Ayame pondered on that thought. Indeed, he has never seen any wound heal as fast as that on a normal human. However, if she weren't "normal", then that would explain a lot. But if that's the case, it creates far more unexplainable questions than the ones it answered. For example, if she really was what he thought she is, then she wouldn't be able to walk around during the day like she is now, not to mention the methods on how she acquired of becoming _one_, since it's a classified secret that only the top officials of the Bakufu and some high-ranking Shinsengumi officers know. He tried looking for any hint of deceit in her eyes without her noticing, but he found nothing. It's either she's an extremely good actress or she honestly doesn't know anything at all.

"Saito-san!" A man called out. It was a man from his group, and the rest were ahead of them, waiting for them.

"Ah, we caught up with them." Ayame said.

"Is something wrong?" Saito asked as they approached.

"Nothing. It's just that you looked deep in thought, so I figured I'd call your attention."

Saito nodded and resumed his position in front, with Ayame beside him, and they continued to patrol without another word between them. After a while, they met up with Harada and proceeded to go back to headquarters.

"So, did you get all the things you needed?" Harada asked as they walked back together.

"Yes. I managed to buy some herbs I needed badly." Ayame lifted the things she was holding and pointed at Saito, who was holding the rest of the things she bought. "I also bought some clothes."

"He can be surprisingly thoughtful." Harada commented as he glanced at the bundle Saito was carrying.

"Surprised me, too." Ayame laughed. "It's good to have someone carry the things for you when you bought too much."

Saito just sighed as they talked about him.

When they got back, Ayame thanked both of them, especially Saito, as she got took all of the things she bought and went back to her room.

"Welcome back, Ayame-san." Chizuru greeted her as she entered the room. "How was it?"

"Hmm, as normal as it can be, I guess." Ayame said as she placed the clothes she bought in an empty cabinet, not planning on telling her her talk with Saito about her wound. "Ne, Chizuru. You said you came here in search of your father, right? So wouldn't it be easier to search for him if you went patrolling, too?"

Chizuru sighed. "I want to, but Hijikata-san won't let me leave the compound at all. I guess it's easier for you since you've already gained their trust, while I'm nothing but a burden _and _a witness."

"While that may be true, I'm pretty sure Hijikata doesn't approve of you leaving yet not because he doesn't trust you, but because it's dangerous and they don't have any extra men to spare to protect you while you're out."

"I'm not sure how I should feel about that, Ayame-san." Chizuru sighed again. "But yes, I do understand. I just hope that he'll let me out as soon as possible or I may never find my father at all. Oh, it's near lunch, guess I better get the food ready."

"I'd like to help, but I got to prepare the medicine." Ayame shot her an apologetic smile as Chizuru stood up.

"It's alright. I do remember everything you told me yesterday, so let's just hope that I can make it as good as yours."

"I know you will. You have a talent for cooking, seeing as you managed to teach yourself with no one else around." Ayame stood up too and followed Chizuru to the kitchen, where she'll be needing some utensils to prepare the medicine.

In the kitchen, to avoid accidentally mixing up the food and herbs, Ayame took a small spot for herself to work on. Fortunately, there was enough space for two people to move around individually, and it wasn't hard for them to work at all. As Chizuru was busy preparing and cooking lunch, Ayame was busy chopping, grinding, and brewing several sets of medicine in which she put in several empty jars or paper packets after its completion.

"Wow, that's amazing, Ayame-san." Chizuru said, looking over Ayame's shoulder as she worked. "But how do you know which is which?"

"I could tell by just looking at it, since I'm the one who made it, but I'll be putting labels on them later just in case. Are you done, Chizuru?"

"Yes, almost. I just have to finish the soup."

"I didn't notice since I was concentrating on the medicine, but now it actually smells pretty good." Ayame said as she rubbed her stomach. "I'm getting hungry just by smelling it."

"Well, it's almost lunch time, after all. I'll call the others for lunch, would you mind looking over the soup for me, Ayame-san?"

"Sure."

Chizuru left the kitchen and Ayame stopped her work. She watched her mother deal with herbs and make them into medicine, she also tried it out herself before and remembers everything her mother taught her, but she never imagined it was this much hassle when she had to do everything manually. Resting her tired arms for a bit, she leaned on the counter while keeping an eye on the simmering liquid in the pot. Her thoughts then wandered back to her wound. _Perhaps I should tell Chizuru about it?_

After a few more minutes, Chizuru came back and immediately attended to the now boiling soup. "Thanks, Ayame-san."

"No problem." Ayame said. "Need help with serving?"

"Oh, I'm alright. Besides, you still look like you have a lot of work to do."

"This? I'm pretty much finished with the ones that are currently needed. The rest are just extra, in case an emergency happens. It's nice to have a good stock of medicine when you need 'em." Ayame said as she went and helped Chizuru with serving the food on the individual trays.

"Hey, need any help?" Heisuke, Nagakura, and Okita appeared.

"Ah, could you please bring these to the common room, where everyone is?" Chizuru gave them the trays that was to be served, and after everything was done, she turned to Ayame. "Shall we go?"

Ayame nodded. She was planning on asking Chizuru anything about her wound, but those three just had to come in. _Maybe later..._

In the common room, everybody was waiting for them, and they started the meal once everyone was present. As they ate, Ayame was worried that Saito might have spoken to Hijikata about her abnormal healing speed, but all Hijikata asked was about the things she bought that day and nothing more. Saito didn't look like he's planning on divulging that information to anyone else, either. She was slightly relieved, but was at the same time wary, since she doesn't know what that man has in mind now that he knows about it. After lunch ended, Ayame went to the kitchen and brought back the medicine she was working on a while ago.

"This is for Kondou-san." Ayame handed him several packets filled with powder. "This should be taken every after meal time until you have completely healed. Drink plenty of fluids and please eat more high-fiber foods such as vegetables."

Ayame then turned to Okita, giving him another set of medicine packets. "This is for you chest pain. Drink it once a day with warm water."

"Thanks Ayame-chan." Okita received the medicine gratefully. "The chest pains has gotten worse lately."

"Is that so? I'll have to conduct a proper check-up on you at a later time." Ayame said before turning to Nagakura. "And this is the ointment for your sprain."

"Thanks a lot." Nagakura said as he let Ayame apply the light green paste on his ankle and proceed to wrap it with bandages. "How long will it take?"

"It's just a minor sprain, so it shouldn't take long. If you follow my advice, the pain should subside by tonight."

"That fast?"

"Of course." Ayame grinned. "This special concoction is widely known for its efficiency. Anyway, that's about it. I still have a lot of work to do. If any of you need me, I'll be at the kitchen."

The rest of the people left after Ayame to do their own things, while Heisuke and Inoue followed Ayame to the kitchen, since it was their turn to wash the dishes. They worked alongside each other silently, with Heisuke and Inoue occasionally commenting or asking a few questions.

"So you really aren't joking when you said you were trained in medicine, huh?" Heisuke said as he watched her work while he washed the dishes.

Ayame raised as eyebrow at Heisuke. "So up until now you were doubting me?"

"It's not exactly like that..." Heisuke quickly said, afraid that he might've offended her.

"Heisuke-kun is just saying that it's quite unbelievable, but in a good way." Inoue joined in. "And you have to admit, for someone your age to have such valuable knowledge and skill in medicine, it's quite rare."

Ayame blushed. She wasn't accustomed to receiving so many compliments in such short a time. Normally, people would treat her like a weirdo if she displayed such knowledge to them. "T-thanks. Everybody has done nothing but compliment me since the very first day. If this continues it might go up my head."

"At least you've got the right to let it go up your head. Though I don't think Hijikata will like it if you get too cocky."

"Heisuke-kun is right." Inoue agreed. "But you're already humble enough as it is, so I think it's fine."

Heisuke handed Inoue the last bowl for him to put in the cabinet and turned to Ayame. "Hey, you look like you're having a hard time with that. Need some help?"

"Is it alright...?"

"Of course it is. I've got nothing to do anyway." Heisuke shrugged.

"I'd love to help, too, but I'm afraid it's my turn to patrol now and I better get going before Hijikata-san gets mad." Inoue smiled apologetically.

"That's alright, Inoue-san." Ayame said. "Good luck patrolling."

After Inoue left, Heisuke asked what he could do and Ayame looked down at the half-ground herbs in the mortar. Her arms were aching so much that she had difficulty even holding the pestle. "Here, you can help me grind these into powder."

Ayame instructed Heisuke on how fine she needed the powder be, and Heisuke was in the middle of grinding the herbs when Okita and Saito appeared. "Yo. Bumped into Inoue-san a while ago and he said that you needed some help?"

"I didn't ask for it, but thanks. Um, could somebody help me chop those into bits?" Ayame pointed at the bark-like plant on the chopping board. "My arms are too tired to cut through it."

"There, Hajime-kun, a job for you to keep yourself busy." Okita patted Saito on the back. Saito sighed as he walked to the chopping board.

"And Okita-san, you can help me with this." Ayame gave Okita a wooden ladle and a large bowl filled with an unknown liquid. "I need you to stir it. Keep stirring until it gets really gooey."

"Ah, can I exchange with Hajime-kun?"

"Sorry, no can do. You're the one who made him do it in the first place." Ayame patted his back very much the same way Okita did to Saito a while ago, and Heisuke tried hard not to laugh while the corners of Saito's lips were pulled up to form a slight smirk, which quickly disappeared as soon as Ayame saw it. "Alright, get that right arm stirring. I plan on finishing all these today."

"Eh? Are you sure about that, Ayame-chan? That's quite...a lot." Okita looked at where Ayame was pointing, and on the counter near the stove was a small mountain of different herbs waiting to get prepared and made into whatever it is they were to be made to.

"I don't remember you buying that much." Saito also raised an eyebrow at the quantity of plants.

"I found most of them just growing around in the courtyard. Almost all of the plants there could be used one way or the other. Maybe I could organize the place and make a medicine garden? I could take care of it, and I wouldn't need to go out and buy herbs every so often."

"It's a good idea. You can talk to Hijikata-san about it later." Heisuke said. "And we won't be needing to watch over you on patrols."

"That's true. I could tell that my presence during the patrol wasn't exactly convenient to the men." Ayame said.

"Oh? Did Hajime-kun made you uncomfortable with his silence?"

"Not exactly..." Ayame glanced at Saito, who was still chopping up the plants. He didn't turn around, nor made any noticeable movements.

"_'Not exactly'_? He did, didn't he?" Okita raised an eyebrow. "Or maybe he did something else that made you uncomfortable?"

"I personally believe that its unthinkable of Saito-san to go out of his way to make me feel uncomfortable." Ayame sighed. "And I was probably just unaccustomed to the atmosphere, nothing too major."

"Is that so? Well, I suppose that's true." Okita said, resting his arms for a bit, which immediately earned a scolding from Ayame. "It's difficult for some people to keep up with Hajime-kun's stoicism."

Ayame let Okita and Heisuke work on the task assigned to them and turned to check on Saito. "Are you sure you want to help? You just came back from patrolling and can rest if you want to."

"I'm fine." Saito said as he grabbed another bark to cut up.

Watching him work, Ayame couldn't take it anymore and lowered her voice so the others wouldn't hear her. "Um, do you plan on telling the rest about...you know..."

"I still need a concrete explanation before I present it to the rest. And for now, as long as it's not a threat to us, I'll allow it to stay hidden."

Ayame nodded, grateful. She also has a lot in mind and appreciates the time she's given to figure it all out herself. However, she cannot shake the feeling that her "condition" is much more complicated than how she thinks it is.

When everything was finished, Okita was exhausted and rubbed his sore arms while Heisuke, Saito, and Ayame were finishing up and packing the finished medicine. It took him a long, long time of stirring to make the substance into an ideal state, and Ayame would get mad if he stopped to rest for even a bit. "That's not fair. Hajime-kun did most of the easy jobs..."

"Well, you _were_ the one who pushed him to do it." Ayame said and passed him a small jar. "Here, for the soreness."

"Ayame, do we bring all this to your room?" Heisuke pointed at the jars and packets on the counter.

"Yes please. I'll just organize them there." Ayame moved the small packets of powder onto a bigger paper envelope so it would be easier to transport them and grabbed as many jars as her arms could carry. "This should be enough to last for a while."

"It better." She heard Okita behind her mutter. "I don't want to help in making medicine ever again."

After everything was transported to her and Chizuru's room, she thanked the men for their help as she went to organize the place. When Chizuru came back to their room, everything was already in place.

"Wow, this looks like a small clinic instead of a bedroom."

"It's both." Ayame shrugged. "I hope it doesn't create any inconveniences."

"Oh, no. I was the one who suggested it, after all. So this 'clinic' officially opens tomorrow?"

"I was already thinking of my first patient. I told Okita that I would further inspect him..."

"Ah, if that's the case, I can call him for you. I just saw him in the courtyard with Saito-san."

"Thank you, Chizuru." Ayame nodded at her as Chizuru left the room. A few minutes later, Chizuru came back with Okita and Saito trailing behind her.

"Ayame-san, I brought him."

"I completely forgot about this." Okita said as he stood outside the room.

"What are you standing outside for? I can't give you a check-up if you just stand there." Ayame motioned for him to come inside the room, but Okita hesitated. "Well? Just come inside already! And Saito-san, come in if you want."

Both men entered the room with uneasiness evident in their faces. Ayame watched curiously as they entered, and a thought struck her. "Could it be, that you have never entered a woman's room before?"

"It really is hard to hide anything from you, isn't it?" Okita smiled awkwardly. "Well, now I'm in. What do I do now?"

"Sit." Okita did as he was told and sat in front of Ayame. "Now take off your clothes."

"What?!" Okita looked at her in surprise. He was in a woman's room, and that woman is now telling him to take off his clothes. If it weren't for medical purposes he would've left the room already.

Ayame rolled her eyes at him. "Stop being a sissy and do what I tell you to do."

"Um, Ayame-san..." Chizuru was as surprised as Okita when Ayame requested him to undress.

"Chizuru, if you can't watch, then stay outside, the same goes for you, Saito." Ayame told the two and then turned back to Okita, who was still hesitating. "If you don't take off your top right this instant, I'll do it for you."

At this, Okita immediately slipped his clothes off his shoulders. "Just the top is enough, right...?"

"Yep, that's enough." Ayame then approached a nervous Okita and reached out to touch his chest. Okita's breath hitched as he felt her cool fingers touch his bare skin. Ayame raised an eyebrow at his reaction. It's true that the people of this era are extremely conservative, but even so, this kind of reaction is still amusing. "So, this is just a guess, but...you're a virgin, aren't you?"

She felt Okita's skin tremble under her touch. "I don't think knowing that is necessary for the treatment."

"It isn't. I was just saying what's on my mind." Ayame said. She roamed her fingers across Okita's chest, pressing and poking certain areas along the way. "But I must say, these are some hard muscles. I suppose it's to be expected of a swordsman."

Before Okita could say anything back, Ayame moved her hands to Okita's jaw and neck area, doing the same thing as she did on his chest, pressing and massaging certain areas. The way she was staring at him while doing this and that was making Okita extremely uncomfortable, and Chizuru and Saito only watched on in awkward silence. "Hmm...you don't seem to be sick. It must be an internal thing. Too bad I can't make a proper diagnosis without the right tools and machines..."

The last sentence was muttered under her breath so the rest wouldn't be able to hear her clearly and ask about it later, and luckily, none of them caught it.

"Uh, Ayame-chan, did you just say something...?" Okita asked and looked down at her. He froze when he looked straight at her, and she was staring back at him, like she was trying to bore a hole through his eyes, and he felt heat creep up his face. He has never been stared at by a woman like Ayame is doing right now. "Ayame...-chan...?"

Without a word, Ayame widened her arms, thus lifting her fingers off of Okita's skin, and then suddenly closing her palms on his cheeks, effectively slapping his face. Ayame noticed that Chizuru winced when she heard the loud noise of flesh hitting flesh.

"Ow! What was that for?!" Okita jumped up and away from Ayame.

Ayame ignored his question. "You aren't sick, which is a good thing. The bad thing is, I don't know what's causing the chest pains right now. I'd have to make further observations. Have you experienced any colds lately? Or any violent coughing?"

"Nothing of the sort." Okita replied, hissing as he rubbed is cheeks. "Can I wear my clothes now?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure." Ayame was deep in thought, so she only glanced at Okita when he asked her a question and returned to her own thoughts, ignoring the rest.

"Ayame-san...?" Chizuru tilted her head as she watched Ayame rub her chin.

"Hmm, I have my speculations, but I can't be too sure." Ayame sighed. "I'm sorry I can't be of any help."

"That's alright." Okita said. "I didn't expect you to know everything. I also wasn't expecting an attack to my face. As long as it isn't anything too major, I'm fine with it."

_Problem is, when it does turn into something major, chances are I won't be able to do anything about it. At least, not with the current medical technology._ Ayame sighed again. "Well, that's pretty much it. You can leave now."

Okita left the room while muttering something inaudible as he continued to rub his cheeks, and Saito followed after bowing at the ladies. With the men gone, Chizuru approached Ayame, who was still thinking over something. "Ayame-san, do you think Okita-san will be alright?"

"To tell the truth, I can't be sure. Like I said, I have my speculations, but without definite proof, it will always be speculations. We'll just have to wait and see how it turns out."

"That doesn't sound very nice." Chizuru sounded worried. "I'm sure Okita-san will be alright."

"..." Ayame stayed silent. She doesn't share Chizuru's optimism (albeit sounding a bit forced), and she doesn't like lying either, especially when it concerns the life and death of one of her patients. "Chizuru, it's getting pretty late, why don't we go and prepare dinner?"

Chizuru looked out of the room and noticed that the sky was turning yellow. She then nodded and stood, followed by Ayame, and they both stepped out of the room.

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

"So, now that dinner is done with, why don't we get this show started?" Nagakura said to Ayame, who responded with a blank look.

"Ayame-san, you said you'd show them your fighting techniques this morning, remember?" Chizuru reminded the girl beside her.

Ayame looked up for a while, and then widened her eyes, remembering. "Oh, yeah, that's right. Can't believe I forgot it."

"Alright everyone, make some space for her." Nagakura grinned as he watched Ayame stand up from her seat. "It's not fair that only Souji and Hajime got to see it this morning, and even if they say you're good, I'd have to see it for myself."

"It's not like your criticism matters, anyway." Ayame rolled her eyes.

"She's got a point, Shinpachi." Harada said as Ayame proceeded to stand in the middle of the room. "Our way of fighting is different, after all."

Nagakura, not so pleased by Ayame's statement, frowned but said nothing.

"So all I have to do is show you a kata?"

Kondou nodded. "Whatever you want to do. The one Souji and Hajime-kun saw this morning is fine, too."

"Nah, I'll do a different one. It's boring to do the same thing again." Ayame smiled.

Standing in the middle of the room, Ayame stood straight and took a deep breath. She then bowed, seemingly to no one in particular, and announced the kata name. She then widened her stance, and after a second or so, she started her kata. This time, since everyone was watching and she didn't need to hold back, her exhales were more louder, and she was close to roaring every time she finished a set. The people sitting around her were all focused on her, and they were astounded by the deadly grace of her movements. Okita and Saito, who already expected it, were less astonished than the rest. However, since this was another kata and different from the one they saw this morning, they couldn't help but feel amazed all over again. Ending the kata, Ayame exhaled slowly and bowed again before facing Nagakura.

"So, how was it? I'm dying to know what you think." Sarcasm was evident in her voice.

Nagakura, recovering from astonishment, snorted. "It's pretty good...but I'm curious as to how effective it is against an armed opponent."

"Wasn't her encounter that night enough proof for you that she can hold her own against men equipped with weapons?" Harada said beside him and Nagakura shrugged.

"What? It's not like I was there to see it, and I'm really curious."

"If that's the case, then why don't you try and fight her right now?" Okita suggested.

"Oi, we agreed to only see how much she can do, not see her actually fight." Hijikata protested, but was stopped by Ayame, who seemed interested in Okita's suggestion.

"That sounds interesting. Nagakura-san, how much can you move your foot? Despite how intriguing the idea sounds, I'd rather not fight an injured man."

"You gave me that medicine, remember? And you can't compare me to any ordinary man! The pain already stopped hours ago!"

Ayame nodded, satisfied that her medicine has worked much faster than expected, and looked at Hijikata. "So, Hijikata-san, would you give us permission to spar right now?"

Everyone looked at him, and after a while Hijikata sighed. "Fine. But Nagakura can only use a wooden sword. And I don't want any unnecessary injuries, so both of you control yourselves."

"Don't worry, Hijikata-san." Nagakura said as he picked up a wooden sword that was stored in a cabinet at the side. "She hasn't seen me fight yet, and I'll scare her enough to let her give up without landing a blow on her."

"Oh? Is that a challenge?" Ayame smirked as she readied and lowered herself into a defensive stance while staring at Nagakura, anticipating for any movement he might make.

After a few seconds, Nagakura tightened his grip on the wooden sword and charged at Ayame. Ayame, however, simply dodged his attacks. The circumstances of the current fight was different from the fight she had a few nights ago. Sure, Nagakura, being a captain of the 2nd division, is much more skilled than the ronin she fought before, and she still had to hold back, but now it's not in a narrow alleyway and she could move around however she pleased, making dodging attacks that much easier.

_But simply dodging ain't fun..._

Suddenly, Nagakura charged straight at her and Ayame swiftly side-stepped to his left. Then, before Nagakura could recover his stance, Ayame quickly lifted her left foot for a roundhouse toward his face. However, the kick stopped just mere inches from Nagakura's nose before Ayame pulled back her leg and jumped away from him.

"Woo, one point for Ayame-chan!" Behind her, Ayame heard Okita cheer, and Ayame just sighed. He was really enjoying this.

"Kuh!" Nagakura recovered from his shock. "You sure are fast, but let's see if you can dodge this!"

This time, Nagakura was much faster, and Ayame anticipated such. It was obvious that he wasn't giving his all before, but it's time for herself to get serious, too. Nagakura continued to send a barrage of attacks, landing a few almost hits along the way, while Ayame continued to dodge, occasionally blocking and countering when given the chance. It wasn't before long that Hijikata spoke up and stopped the sparring session.

"Alright, that's enough. If this continues, god knows when it'll end."

"What? But I was just getting warmed up!" Nagakura complained.

"I only allowed this to see the full capabilities of Morizawa's skills. Now that I've seen her fight, there's no point in having a spar like this anymore. If you want to continue, do so in the morning, where you won't disturb too many people."

Hijikata was right. It wasn't like they owned the area, and too much noise might draw complaints from the people in the neighborhood, especially during the night.

"Heh, this is weird. I thought I remember 'somebody' saying that they will scare someone into giving up before even landing a blow. But from what I saw, not once did that someone in question look like surrendering, and that certain 'somebody' had to fumble around before even landing a decent attack."

"Shut up, Souji." Nagakura clicked his tongue. "If only we had more time, I could definitely kick her ass."

"That isn't something you'd say to a lady." Heisuke said.

"A lady? Where do you see a lady in her? Are you blind or you weren't watching? There's no way a 'lady' could fight like that. I just have to wonder how the hell did her parents manage to raise her to move like a freaking monkey. Hell, maybe her mom and dad _are_ monkeys, that's why." Nagakura frowned, not pleased with the fact that he wasn't able to win against a mere girl.

"Nagakura-san...!" Chizuru gasped at Nagakura's words.

Hearing what he said, Ayame, who was originally fixing her rumpled kimono, quickly stepped beside him and kicked him square in the face. This time, she was serious. Nagakura stepped backward but didn't fall down and was about to curse loudly when Ayame's fist flew toward him. However, the punch didn't land and simple stopped in front of him. The force Ayame directed toward the punch was so large that Nagakura felt the air itself was pushed back when it stopped right in front of him.

"You can insult me all you and I won't care, but nobody _ever_ talks about my parents like that." Ayame gave Nagakura a death glare. She then slowly pulled back her fist and stepped out of the room afterward, slamming the door shut behind her in the process.

"Nagakura-san, you shouldn't have said that." Chizuru said as she stood up and ran after Ayame. "Ayame-san! Wait for me!"

"Ah, there he goes again, talking without thinking." Harada sighed. "You better apologize if you don't want to end up dead in the near future."

"I thought you knew better than to insult someone's parents like that, Nagakura-kun." Sanan shook his head.

"You do realize that she could, and would, bash your face in just then, right?" This time it was Heisuke who spoke.

Hijikata sighed, while Kondou shook his head. "I know I shouldn't say this, but you deserved it, Shinpachi-kun."

Nagakura, still stiff from shock, slumped down to the floor. "I swear, she had every intention of killing me. Those eyes weren't kidding..."

"That's why, Shinpachi, you should apologize as soon as possible and pray to the gods that she'll forgive you." Okita smirked. "But at least we do know what topic is an extreme taboo to her."

Suddenly, a scream was heard and the men immediately went out to know what was going on. They went to where the scream came from and quickly saw Chizuru kneeling down on the floor.

"Yukimura-kun, were you the one who screamed?" Kondou asked. "What's wrong...?"

Before Chizuru could give a reply, another scream, this time sounding much more restrained than the first one, could be heard from behind Chizuru, who stood up and greeted them. Switching their focus, they saw a curled up Ayame lying on the floor clutching her head and attempting controlling her painful moans.

"Morizawa...?"

"We were walking back to our room when she suddenly clutched her head and screamed." Chizuru explained as she knelt back on the floor and tried to talk to Ayame. "Ayame-san? What's wrong...?"

Ayame didn't respond as she continued to clutch her head. It was taking all she's got not to scream out loud from the head-splitting pain. She turned her head to see that the captains and Chizuru were watching her with worry in their eyes. Ayame managed to smile, trying to tell them that it wasn't that much of a big deal, but before she could say anything to them, another wave of pain crashed over her. Overwhelmed, she heard herself inhale sharply before blacking out.

* * *

So, that ends chapter 2. I've already started on chapter 3, so it shouldn't take long, but I can't guarantee anything either.

Thanks for reading and please leave a review if you can!

Ciao~


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